PACKAGING

The materials that make the pack

Traditionally certain packaging materials have been associated with certain markets. Wander around a supermarket and you’ll see a vast amount of glass in the alcohol section, plastic will dominate the cleaning product sector and carton will tend to dominate the cereal section. These traditional uses of materials have been longstanding.

However, designers are challenging preconceptions and helping change market conventions and consumer attitudes by using unconventiol materials to create dramatic packs.

Despite innovation in materials choice, there are still some limitations to what materials are suited for. So what do you have to consider when choosing a packaging material?

How will the product react with the packaging material?

We'd all expect industrial chemicals to have corrosive qualities, but not many of us know that lipgloss is caustic. Therefore choosing the correct material to pack a product may not be as straightforward as was first imagined. It is important to know how the product will react with the pack in both the short and long term, so testing is required. In some cases when you want to use a material which would react badly with the contents of the pack it may be possible to coat the inside of the pack with another material that has barrier properties to enhance the robustness of the pack and to maintain the quality of the product inside.

What does the pack have to endure in the supply chain?

The rigours of the supply chain are an often overlooked part of the product’s lifecycle. The pack must be strong enough to make sure it withstands transportation from the packaging manufacturer, to the filling line, to a distribution centre and on to the retailer. Over the past few years retailers have increased the amount of retail-ready packaging, corrugated packaging that transports products through the supply chain and which can then be used to display the product in store. This has dramatically increased the amount of corrugated material used in the packaging sector.

Target market

As the popularity of festivals and outdoor events has risen, so has the trend towards targeting the on-the-go market by the drinks industry. This is clearly illustrated by the wine sector’s move into alternative formats, such as aluminium and steel cans, carton packs, plastic bottles and now pouches. In this instance a change in target market has dictated a change in material choice and pack format.

The sustainability issue

The environment is at the forefront of consumers’ thoughts nowadays. As a consequence, it is important to consider the environmental qualities of the materials you are using. In some instances brands use materials because of the green connotations they present for consumers, for instance it is not uncommon for brands to use cartonboard brown-side up so as to give the product a “green” feeling. However, this can subsequently pose problems for printing as printing on the uncoated side reacts differently with the inks and has led some brands to replicate the appearance of uncoated board on coated materials. Marks and Spencer is one brand that uses the technique on everything from apple pies to Swiss rolls.

“In terms of printing on the reverse of board it can be a challenge to say the least,” says Chesapeake Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Packaging artwork and constructional design manager, UK and Ireland, Gill Wright. “The reverse of the board is not designed to be printed and therefore throws up a number of production challenges.” These include:

• The ink absorbs into the board far more as the surface is porous. This can cause running issues in production due to board changing shape and warping.
• Inefficiency as this causes issues in the cut and crease stages of the production process. 
• For products which have direct contact with food or vitamins there are issues with the migration of inks from board to product for this reason it may be necessary to coat the lining, which adds cost to the price sensitive food market.

Chesapeake has developed a technique to mimic the effect of printing on the reverse side of board, giving the brand the same look and feel but without the production issues and ink migration problems faced in food.

Bioplastics refer to polymers that are made from renewable resources and/or can be biodegraded or decomposed, the two are not mutually exclusive. Renewable resources that can be used as a base for bioplastics include wood (cellulose), vegetable oils, sugar and starch. Issues have been raised around the source of the renewable resources used to manufacture bioplastics as there have been arguments that food crops have been diverted for their manufacture. There is also the issue that most bioplastics do not biodegrade in normal waste streams and can contaminate recycling streams. On the other hand there are oxo-biodegradable plastics, a by product of oil or natural gas, that can be recycled in normal waste streams, but will also degrade and subsequently biodegrade by itself.

Creating the structure and shape of a packaging

Designers have two key tools to grab the consumers’ attention, graphics and structure.

The structure of a pack can serve multiple purposes:

• To create shelf standout and sell the product
• To protect the product
• To prolong the life of the product
• To facilitate the use of the product
• To reassure customers that it's part of a familar range

Designers create innovative and enticing packaging shapes using computer modelling and CAD visuals before they make mock ups to show how a pack might look and feel. While designing the structure of pack they will think about: 

Creating standout

Some products are instantly recognisable simply from the silhouette of their pack.

...for commissioning successful packaging design

1. Conduct a thorough audit of all competitors in your market before you start, and make sure you understand their respective positionings and attributes. Then create your own.
2. Look at what is happening in other markets, e.g. if you are just considering the UK or Europe, what is happening in the US or Far East that might give you a point of difference?
3. Put measures in place at the start so you can track and learn as you go, e.g. measure awareness of and attitude to your packaging now and in the future. A good research agency will tell you how to do this.
4. Choose a design agency based on its track record, not on price and get testimonials direct from at least three existing clients. Make sure you like them and feel you can work with them.
5. Be different and ensure your pack has its own visual equity and has a strong personality and attitude.
6. Make sure your pack works at all stages of its life cycle, from leaving the factory to ending up in the user's hands.
7. Protect your pack in terms of trademark law and copyright and make sure you're not infringing your competitors' rights.
8. Mock up how your pack would look alongside your competition. Test it in store and make sure it really does leap out at point of purchase.
9. Design with tomorrow in mind. Create a pack that is in keeping with current market trends and future trends.
10. Consider doing some pre-market testing to make sure your pack will find a willing audience. But be careful how you test it as consumers never quite know what they are looking for until someone shows them something new. Henry Ford once said: 'If I'd listened to what people wanted I’d have built a faster horse!'

Designing packaging graphics

Designers have two key tools to grab the consumers’ attention, graphics and structure.

Packaging graphics must do more than simply look pretty. They must work to cut through the white noise that is the crowded supermarket shelf, and attract a potential buyer. Once they attract a buyer's attention, packs don't stop working. Designers have to make sure they convey information, about how much they and their contents cost to buy, the ingredients they contain, and whether or not they can be recycled.

Packaging is also the medium many businesses exploit to convey their brand.